At the end of paragraph 54, Winston asks, "Was he, then
alone in the possession of a memory?"
What do you think the answer to this question is? Explain
your reasoning using evidence from the text and with
consideration of the entirety of the discussion around
memory.
Winston marveled at the people thanking Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grammes a week yet only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grammes a week. Winston wonders how they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Winston wonders: "Was he, then alone in the possession of a memory?"
Having read the book many times, I fear that Winston might be the only person in the outer party that actively acknowledges truth in his memory. Even Julia, who despises the party, isn't concerned with truth and memory. I think Winston might be the last person to acknowledge and critically wonder how people could believe what they the party tells them. Some might recall inconsistencies in party declarations but something in their heads choose not to give truth or memory any credence.
This is eerily similar to our present society where "fake news" is routinely believed by some even in the face of proof to the contrary.
